Adjustable clamp for rails



Dec. 19, 1922. 1,439,088.

R. D. GALLAGHER.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP FOR RAILS. FILED MAR. 3, 1922.

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saire.

" ADJUSTABLE onaivir ron Rains/ Brennan n. santissima, or criIoAeo,iLLi i\iois.

applicatifs; iieaiviai-ch 3, 1e22.` serial Matieres.

To all w lio/m t may concern.; f

Be it known that l, RICHARDD. Gaima- Grinn, a citiZeno the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county ot Cool; and State of Illinois,y have invented certain `new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Clamps 'for lails2 of which the "hillowingis a. speciclearance is at a premium.

tication.

My invention 'relates to rail clamps and particularly to an acl]i'istahle clamp tor c ane runways, industrial and mine railways, and the like, where ordinarily Very shallow ties or no ties at ally are" employed tosupport the tracks and where wheel flange l15in-object of the inventionis to provide' a clamp adapted for 'use with rails tor securing the rails in suitable yposition on supports and which affords flange 'clearance -on both f sides ofl the rails. y

Another obiectfof the invention is to provide a rail clamp which offersno obstruction to wheel flanges on either' side ot the` rail Land which maybe easily applied and removed.

`A further object is to provide a clamp whereby railv alignment may be maintained without 'removing the attaching bolts or other fastening ineans used to secure the clamps to the rail supports, and at the same time oering no obstruction tofthe wheel flanges. Generally speaking, ferred embodiment of the invention `by pro# viding rail braces and wedge blocks similar to those described in a co-pendingapplica` tion, which braces and blocks have cooperating inclined faces. arrangedso thattlie rail braces engage thek edges or the rail'bases,L

which braces are moved` into clamping engagement by wedging actionottheblocks. I prefer to apply the clamps to the rail supports so that the vclamps may be arranged Figure 2\`is n enlarged plan view of `a n'iodiiicatiom. and' f Figure 8 isan enlarged sectional riew of the arrangement of Figure 2. i

llail is carried on ya channel which, in turn, is supported structural shape if shown inlthe drawings anl beam. rllhe rail is secured to its support by means ot the clamps oi' my inventionpwhich include rail braces 8 arranged on each side of the rail at `suitable intervals. Each kbrace has a bottom 9 rorresting onfthe channel Sand-shout;

dered notchlO anda `front portion 117 which i extends overthe edge of 1therai'l base ior a short distance. The rear endo the brace is inclined at 12 ,andy A the front end ot `the brace is similarly inclined at 18, surfaces 12 and 18 being parallel vand in different planes.

Jedge yblocks are provided forfmoving the 'braces against lthe rail to hold the saineA firmly on its support.' These' blocks have inclined surfaces 15 and 16 for cooperating `with the inclined surfaces 13 and 12 respectivelyfol" .the braces,`and have' centrally disposed'openings l17 for .the reception' or bolts 18 lwhereby the blocks may be Vheld in position `on the. rail support. The braces 8 have suitably disposedjopenings 14 through which the bolt 1 8 passes.` A nut 2O is ap; 4pliedltothe end of the bolt for causingftlie block to cooperate`i witli the `brace 8 for clamping purposes. I carry out the prei In applying the clampsk 'of iny invention toA a rail such as that shown in the drawings,

support 6 will be provided at suitable inter- 1 v als, with holes^19 throughv which the bolts 18 maybe passed. The braces and blocks are applied to every'boltas shown in` the drawings andare held in" position by the` nuts These may put in place before` the railis clamped, if desired. When rthe` rail is in positiointhc braces are moved to `rest against the vedge oit the base oil: therail as shown and the nuts 2O tightened so that the blocks will cooperate with the braces for moving the saine against the rail and. lo f hold the same on its support. By reason ol? the shouldered notch 10 the rail bases are en along the top of the bases to prevent tipping of the rail in service. The rails may be properly alignedby tightening and loosening rwhatever nuts2O are necessary, and when so `aligned various nuts may be tightened to effectuallyclainp the rail in position.

rgaged along the marginal edge and also Tlllhere the rail clamp of this invention is used with heavy rails, the wedge blocks tend to move the bolts 18 outwardly and incline the vsame out of perpendicular position..v l have show/nin Figures Nos.` 2 and 3 one means oi overcoming the moving ,of the bolts. ln `the bottoni of the rail brace a recess 2l is formed suiiciently wide to` receive a gib 22, which gib'has an opening23l vot the same size as the diameter of the bolt; shoulder 24; is provided so that when in posi'- y tion as shown inl the dra-wings the ,wedge bloclr vwill rest against, the shoulder and tend to urge the kgib outwardly. Therefore, tightening foil: Vthe `nut 20a will cause the Awedge block to move Vthe rail brace 8 to Vthe Yleft as shown in Figure 3 as the gib 22 tightly engagingthe boltpr'events movement ol ,the gib to the right and consequent movementoi.l the bolt to the rightghence,

Atendency for the bolt'to tip is overcome as readily be understood.

'Vhile "il have descrlbedmore or less pre,- clsely vthe details.ofconstruction otmyxinf ventlon, xdo not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto',` as I contemplate changes in formand proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalentsias circumstances may` suggest lor, render expedient without departing from .the spirit of my invention. l Y

Iclaim:y f Y" l., A rail clamp of the, class described, including in combination, a rail and a support therefor, a rail brace having a fiat portion vtor resting on a support, aA shoulder' for 'abutting the railbase,andan` upstanding portion spaced `from the web, said 'latter por,-

tion having a surfaceinclineddownwardly and outwardly, and a second similarly in clined surface near thefouter lend of the flat portion, a wedge block having inclined surfaces similar to those of vthe brace for cooperating therewith, 4and means for drawing said block downwardly for moving the brace into clampingengagement with the' rail basel; the, parts'V being' arranged in such manner that when inclampingposition the aligmnent.

brace and block are spaced from the rail a sufiicient dista-nce to permit passage wheel flanges.

2. A `rail clamp of 'the class described, ,in-

cleding in combination, members applicable to both sides of a rail, said members includa suitable rail support, rail braces resting v.on vandslldable along said support and arranged'to bearagainst a rail on each side thereoi, wedge b'locksco-operating with said braces, means passing through said support,

bracesvand blocks for, actuating saidblocks `for moving the braces to clamp fthe rail to sociatedin clamping position for moving the .rail slightly for `purposes ofialignment.

,3. LA rail clamp of the classfdescribed, in

.cludingin combination, a rail and a support therefor, a rail bra-ce having a fiatportion lfor resting 'on the suport, a shoulder `for abuttingk the railbase, and an upstanding portion spaced from ythe web, said latter portion lhfiring a surface inclined downwardly and outwardly, and :a second similarlyinthe support, said members operable when as# ,clined surface` near the outer end of the fiat portion, a wedge block having inclinedy surfaces similar'to those oiithe'fb'race `for co- (merating` therewith, a. bolt for drawing said block downwardly for movin thefbraceinto clamping engagement with the rail base, and means for preventing tilting of said bolt, said vmeans including a gib surrounding said bolt and contacting the wedge block.

' l. ln an arrangement ofV the Vclass described, in combination, devices forsecuring 

